Truth is Hidden in the Heart
by chocolatepen
Summary: Zuko knows something is wrong, and Mai is it. There's someone else out there but just as he finds her, Azula steps in the way. Three years later will he let confusion cloud his heart? Zutara Rocks! And this has no relation to Zutara's Campsite
1. Chapter 1

no relation to "Zutara's Campsite"

Disclaimer: if i own this story it would end with zutara

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Truth is Hidden in the Heart

Zuko sighed. This wasn't right. _Something_ about this wasn't right.

He paused at his balcony, his head resting on his arm as he gazed out with a bored gaze. Servants dashed around and soldiers sparred in the courtyard.

Below his balcony was the Fire Garden, devoted to the fire bender. The plants were all native to the Fire Nation and grew black, like they were burnt but were actually quite healthy. Fountains were spread throughout, filled with oil so they could be lit and continually hold an eternal flame—something Sozin had said meant "Long live the Fire Nation." But personally Zuko didn't like the garden like most fire benders, he instead preferred the Garden of Meditation, where there was a small pond that was residence to a family of turtle-ducks.

It had been his mother's favorite garden.

Again he sighed and looked down on the occupants of the garden. It was Azula and her merciless companions. He actually shuttered when his eyes scanned over his girlfriend, Mai. They were planning something and he didn't want to know what.

But it wasn't his crazed sister that drove him nuts it was her friend and their relationship. Every night he had woken up with dreams, not of Mai, but of the water peasant. It was as if she were next to him calling him closer yet yelling at him for his actions, for his decision in the catacombs. Why had he done that? Why did he choose Azula, over his Uncle and…over _her_?

"Ugh!"he grumbled. This was driving him insane!

Ever since those dreams had started he could feel his sanity slipping away. All he could think about was her and only her. When he saw water, it wasn't his reflection that looked up at him but hers. It was like she was the water itself and could use it to look and check up on him. And when he was alone and just needed a comforting hand, it wasn't Mai he wanted to cry out for, nor even his mother or uncle; but her! She was overtaking him and soon she would win control of everything that was him. She was a poison, but he savored in his dreams when she was with him, and he sometimes wondered what would have happened if they hadn't been discovered in those caves…

"Zuko!" he heard suddenly, and looked up to see the girl in the doorway was exactly the girl he wanted so much to see, even if she didn't feel the same way.

"Katara…" he said breathlessly after a moment of scrambling his brain for a name other than 'water peasant.'

For a second, Katara was taken aback. She had never heard Zuko say her name like that—she didn't think he knew her name. Bewildered she forgot her mission but when his movement towards her caught her eye she remembered and quickly slid into a fighting stance.

"I don't have time to chat, Zuko," she said harshly, spitting out his name with venom on her tongue. "Prepare yourself, its time to end this war!"

"Katara," Zuko repeated walking closer. "There's something I have to tell you."

She didn't like the sound in his voice. It wasn't like him; too soft, too...loving.

Scared and nervous she knocked a water whip at his feet. He stopped immediately.

"I said 'prepare yourself,' Zuko!" she shouted again.

"Why do you want to fight me?" Zuko asked, putting himself in only half the stance he was so adapt with. He was trying to slow her down from fighting, because now that he was with her again, he would not let himself go another moment without telling her.

"You're the enemy, don't you understand that yet?" she snapped. "You could have chosen the side of good. Instead you betrayed us, you betrayed your uncle, you…betrayed _me_."

Her head fell and her fighting was forgotten as she realized the feeling behind those words. Of course she was hurt, he had taken Azula's side and she hated him for it…Or at least she thought she did.

She looked up again, suddenly aware that he had walked over to her.

"Katara," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

She thought her mind would blow.

" 'I'M SORRY'?! You think that by just saying '_I'm sorry_' you'll be forgiven for all that you've done wrong! Betraying us! Killing Aang! Chasing us across the world! Making me think I actually liked you!..."

Zuko's brow furled. "What?"

Katara realized her mistake too late. Her hands immediately flew to her face in an effort to hide how her entire body had gone from creamy brown to stalk red. But before she could even close her eyes, Zuko caught her wrists and pulled them to either side of his head as he crushed his lips to hers.

That was not how he had expected a first kiss with Katara would be like and wished he could take it all back when he suddenly felt her kiss back.

Slowly, he pulled away to gaze at her. His heart beat rapidly whether from the nervousness or from sure bliss he wasn't sure and didn't care.

"Well, well, well. Zuzu found himself a new girlfriend."

Shock and terror covered the loving mood as soon as the person in the doorway spoke; and Katara felt herself being jerked back behind Zuko as he turned to face the evil.

"So hostile Zuko; my, even to your own sister," scoffed Azula tauntingly. "But tell me Zuko: what about your 'one true love' fighting for her life against the earth bender downstairs?"

Katara felt confused. Why would Zuko cheat on his already-girlfriend…_and with her_? Suddenly she wasn't sure whether to be mad, jealous, happy, or all three.

"I've realized my mistakes."

"Oh? And what are those?"

Zuko paused buying more time before he would have to…

"For starters: joining_ you_."

Azula smiled, "Ooo, do I detect a hint of hatred in that?"

"Second: believing you when you lied to me that I would be excepted where I was exiled."

Azula didn't reply and didn't have to as Zuko continued.

"And third: for lying to myself that I loved Mai and that Uncle was one at fault. The truth is that I'm the idiot."

"Yes, Zuzu, just keep telling yourself that," and before either Zuko or Katara knew it, a blue light was thrown at them and Zuko was pushing Katara to the ground and out of harm's way.

Quickly, Zuko attacked back with his own attack of fire which Azula easily dodged.

As Katara watched, her mind now blank of all the duties she wasn't fulfilling, she couldn't believe what was happening. First, Zuko says her name. (_I didn't even know he knew my name!_) Second, Zuko kisses her. (_Man! He must have been practicing!_) Third, Zuko admits he just cheated with her. (_So Mai is his practicing partner…EW!_) Fourth, Zuko was fighting for her…at least somewhat…

Katara was suddenly jerked back into reality as a shot of lightning flew across her vision, just barely missing Zuko's arm. Clumsily she got to her feet and unscrewed one of the water skins she carried. Before Azula even noticed, she froze her feet to the floor and whipped her with a fair beating. This fight was two verses one, and Katara couldn't wait another two minutes when the solar eclipse would set in and this fight would be even easier.

But with her mind distracted with victory, Katara did not see the lightning bolt heading straight for her heart until a shadow unexpectedly covered her from its light. Swiftly—and with the grace of one hundred swans—Zuko brought the lightning through his fingers, down through his gut, avoiding his heart, and back out his other fingers to its source.

Copying her brother, Azula caught the lightning in her outstretched fingers. But as she moved to follow the track of blood vessels through her stomach, her fingers reached too high—colliding with her heart. Immediately, her face contorted into an ugly mix of shock, loss, and fear. And she fell as a small pool of blood spilled from her facial openings—ears, nose, mouth. What Katara noticed though was the mix of salt-water tears and rich, iron-filled blood that cried from her eyes.

"What happened to her?" she asked wearily after what seemed like years of holding her breath.

"She didn't know how to transmit the lightning through her blood," Zuko whispered.

Gently he took Katara's hand and turned her to face him. At first, Katara couldn't look at him, not after what he said and did. But all too soon she looked at him and found herself comforted by the golden warmth his eyes gave her.

And suddenly, he smiled.

"Come on, let's go find your friends and end this war," he said, grabbing a pair of twin board swords off a table.

He tugged lightly on her hand and she followed. A small smile gracing her lips as she realized that life after the war just might be…wonderful.

Fin.

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kay, a bit zappy and gruely, but the story wouldn't be any good if the bad guy won...

this has a sequel to it but that won't be up for another couple weeks so for the time being this will be titled "complete"

please stay tuned and remember:

"critic and review are the best things to do, or else this cough should actually be writers flu!"


	2. Chapter 2

**thanks for waiting people, and thank you to all the reviews i got on the first piece, though there were only five. so my thanks goes out to those five people:**

**music bender**

**smartcheer917**

**AlinaAlone#1**

**Scanner-Cat-Scat**

**Sokkaantylee**

**as for the rest of you, thanks for favoriting and whatever but i would like it a lot if you could tell me something, your favorite line or...just something.**

**thank you for reading hope you like it and everything is in character except for my own character Tai**

**disclaimer: i don't own or i would have been katara **

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Truth is hidden in the Heart

And is found through Allowing Love to Reveal It

_Three years._

_Three years since Ozai and Azula's deaths._

_Three years since the end of the war._

_Three years since Zuko kissed me._

Katara sighed, her head falling to her slackened arms as she laid them on the boat railing. She was going back to the Fire Nation on her own free will as Royal Ambassador of the Water Tribes.

After Zuko's coronation she had gone home to the Southern Water Tribe. Actually,_ fled_ would probably be a better word. She just couldn't face him. That had been two weeks after he had kissed her, but…but…she was a kid then! She wasn't ready for a relationship yet!

Often she found herself saying lines like those over and over again in her head, trying to make them sound like truth. _Zuko was just bored of Mai, so he decided to give me a try… He wasn't really intending to kiss me, he just slipped…I must have had mustard on my lip from lunch so he was licking it off for me…_No matter, the harder she tried the lamer the excuse became.

Now she was leaving her home to go live with the single person who could make her heart beat faster and her breath stop at the same time by just allowing herself to think about him. Vigorously, Katara shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts so she could concentrate on other matters. She thought of the other people she loved and had left behind, and all the many things that had happened since the war's end.

The Northern Water Tribe had sent down men and benders to help rebuild and fortify the Southern Water Tribe. Pakku, being one of the volunteers, had immediately sought out Gran Gran and before two moons had passed, they were finally married. Same with Sokka and Suki. Traveling through the Earth Kingdom after the war, Aang and Toph had found Suki wandering the desert, she said some Dai Lee agents had left her there—not being able to kill her on Azula's orders. Now they were expecting there second child in six months time. Toph and Aang were hitting it off pretty well, course they would never admit it publicly. They were noticeable enough though as one would scurry off, soon followed by the other one. And when they thought no one was watching, it was possible to catch them holding hands. They continue to travel the world together, especially to their favorite places: Omashu, Kyoshi Island, and the Air Temples. Aang hoped to grow a population on those islands and again return peace to the _four_ nations.

Again Katara sighed as she forced herself to stop thinking about the past and put her head back into the present so she could go ahead with her future.

But she just wished the future would be kind, because right now her heart was not. Continuously it would beat out a steady rhythm; and soon the beats were words.

_Zuko. Zuko.__ Zuko. Zuko._

Quickly she thumped her head, cocking it to the side like she was trying to release water trapped in her ear; but the thoughts would not leave no matter what. Since her journey began she had tried and failed with every effort to stop the murmurings in her head. Meditation, vigorous sparing, overlapping these thoughts with ones like what the Water Tribes needed to continue on. Each time, though, her mind would wander and she found herself bringing up old memories of Zuko doing the exact same thing she was doing. It seemed like he knew what she was trying to do and would not let her mind rest—not even in sleep!

Katara groaned and turned away from the once comforting seas to sit on one of the benches which crowded the deck for passengers to sit on. There was one thing left for her to do…

Admit she loved Zuko—even after three years of separation—and wait for the time when her little cargo boat would finally dock in the Fire Nation harbor.

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Zuko read the message again for the 99th time.

His heart beat rapidly as his eyes scanned over the poorly penned words. It was her handwriting, no doubt about it. Though he realized he had probably never seen anything written by her before, just the tone set in the way the letters curved to formed words made him think of her and her alone.

And for the 99th time that morning, a thought crossed his mind:

_She's coming back._

Of course Zuko realized she was probably just coming as he had requested from each of the nations: an ambassador to represent each nation. There was no reason for her to come especially for _him_.

Zuko sighed dropping onto the decorative chest at the end of his bed, letting the letter fall down beside him. Swiftly his head followed the plummeting motion as he shielded his eyes in his hands trying to rub the weariness from them that had come from reading.

Already the ambassadors for the other nations had arrived: Toph Bei Fong from the Earth Kingdom and a boy named Cogi from the Northern Water Tribe; and of course the Avatar was there too. It seemed like he wouldn't let the earth bending girl out of his sight—or was it that she wouldn't let _him _out of _hers_? No matter, Zuko couldn't hold the first "Ambassadors for Peace" meeting until she arrived.

Zuko shuddered at the cheesy name, and threw himself backward onto the bed, arms spread out above his head like the wings of a hawk. It had been Uncle's idea to name the new group as such, and Zuko found himself dreading as to letting it stick.

But Katara said in her letter that she thought the name as "suiting"…

…Suddenly it was his most favorite phrase in world.

_[KNOCK, KNOCK_

"Who is it?! What do you want?" Zuko shouted, putting on his tough-guy act lest the disturber be anyone aside from his uncle.

"S-sire, it's I, Tai, your humble messenger," said the voice from behind the closed door.

"Come in, what is it?" Zuko asked, pretending to be in a hurry.

"The Messenger Towers received a letter for you, sir," Tai stuttered. "A sea-hawk from a passenger ship, with the message labeled urgent."

"A sea-hawk?" Zuko questioned. Quickly he tore the letter from Tai's trembling hands. His knew that all his ships carried twin-tailed hawks for their messenger birds, but to receive a sea-hawk from a passenger ship confused him.

Ripping away the sealing wax—and just briefly noting the water tribe symbol stamped into it—he open the scroll to see the handwriting that had taken his breathe away just moments before.

_Katara_, his mind whispered.

The letter read:

_Dear Zuko_

_I'm coming as promised, for I am sure you have received my previous letter already. The captain of this vessel is a fine seaman, and has assured me that we will reach port within the hour. I warn you that if you personally are not there to welcome me— your ambassador—on the docks, I will find passage on another ship and travel back to the Southern Water Tribe before you can throw a fire ball at my receding sail._

_Now you should know by now that I am a challenge. So I give you a second fair warning: if my knowledge of the Fire Nation ways is correct, then we shall be docking within ten minutes of your reading my name at the end of this passage. If you are not there, then I bid you good-bye until you can get your warm butt on the ice down south for my personal apology from you, face to face._

_Good Luck,_

_Katara_

Zuko's jaw dropped. His mind screamed, _She's nutts!_

"Sire?" Tai asked, concerned about the expression that had just covered his king's face.

"Why that little Water Tribe Wench!" cursed Zuko more to himself than the girl he spoke of.

"Sire?"

"Get the Avatar, now! If he and his bison aren't on the front lawns in two minutes… you're fired!" screamed Zuko as he marched to his closet to change out of the sparing clothes he was still wearing.

As promised, Zuko, Avatar Aang, and his flying-bison, Appa, were flying off two minutes later heading for the docks; Lady Bei Fong accompanying.

"So, Hothead," Toph started, "What's the rush?"

"This!" Zuko grumbled shoving the wrinkled letter under her nose.

"Uh, Idiot? I'm blind, I can't read remember?"

Zuko did remember, but he wasn't in the mood to read anymore.

"Give it here, I'll read it," volunteered Aang. Quickly he swooped off Aapp's head and landed to sit next to Toph, grabbing the letter he began to read aloud. With every word, Zuko could feel the anger rising in him at the stubbornness of the girl he was running—well, actually 'flying'—to.

"Dang, Sugar Queen sounds mad," Toph muttered and turned to Zuko. "So what'd you do?"

"Nothing!" Zuko complained. "I haven't even seen her in three years."

"Hm-m," mumbled Toph, crossing her arms only to put her chin in her palm, bored.

"What?!" Zuko shouted, feeling judged for something he hadn't done.

"Nothing, nothing. Did I say anything?" Toph joked with a rhetorical question.

The next three minutes passed in silent contemplation as Appa's three passenger's pondered over Katara's letter.

Suddenly Appa began to descend and Aang again returned to his friend's head to direct him to the place Katara's vessel would be docking at. Once there he helped Toph dismount, and they all waited for their long-time friend.

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As the boat pulled up to the wood dock, crewmen threw ropes to the dock-hands to tie them off. Once the ropes were tightened a plank was set up so passengers could get off. Katara waited her turn in the line of people as they all crowded around the plank. With her feet again on un-shaking ground, she felt a whoosh of land sickness wash over her and away within a matter of seconds. She sighed and began her search.

When she had sent the letter to Zuko she hadn't yet decided if she would do as she proposed. Actually she had said it just to see his reaction; she had learned in the weeks she had spent with him all those years ago, that he was funny to watch get mad because he was always trying to keep his temper in check but rarely succeeded. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to leave without seeing him. Could her heart handle seeing him?

Well now she would find out as she spotted white fur, brown arrow, and horns over the height of the crowds. Quickly she rushed over to Appa and saw that Toph and Aang were both taller.

And then he stepped out and smiled. Katara felt her heart skip a beat as she saw that smile for it was as rare as him keeping his temperature in control. Quickly she went over his appearance in her mind. His hair was longer, pulled back into a regular pony tail with the fire insignia hair-holder. He wore the royal Fire Nation robes without the armor. For a brief second, seeing him dressing all in hues of red and gold, made Katara wonder what he would look like in another color—blue perhaps?

"Katara!" shouted Aang as he ran up to her and threw his arms around her neck.

"Hey, Aang," Katara said hugging him back. Holding him back by his shoulders she used her hand to compare theirs heights, "Wow, you've grown taller, in fact you're nearly taller than me!"

"So what took you so long, Sugar Queen?" asked Toph stepping forward finally.

"Haven't changed a bit have you, Toph?" Katara chuckled as she wrapped her arms around her friends head, Toph was still short enough her that.

"Only in your dreams," muttered Toph threw Katara's rough clothing.

Finally Katara turned to her last and awaiting friend, at least she wished they still were.

She bowed. "Fire Lord Zuko," she said politely.

"Lady Ambassador," Zuko replied, folding his arms to lean against Appa. Katara wasn't surprised that he was being rude in not returning her gesture. He had probably not forgiven her for running away and not speaking to him in three years.

"Come on, Katara," Aang urged as he pushed passed Zuko to Appa, "let's get back to the palace. We've done some remodeling, and besides you haven't met Ambassador Cogi yet."

"Okay Aang," Katara agreed, giving Aang's shoulder a quick "thank-you" squeeze for breaking up the awkward moment. Aang returned the gesture with a single nod before helping Toph get aboard, though she hardly needed it. Then Zuko climbed up and they set off again, this time for the palace; leaving a bunch of staring peasants behind them.

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**hope'd ya'll liked it, and remember:**

**"critic and review are the best things to do or else i stop writing because of this flu." **


	3. Chapter 3

**a final thank you to all those who stayed with me through all of this and may later read this. it makes me happy that i can entertain the media through simple words. i hope everyone enjoyed my work.**

**here's the final chapter, no more writing for this anymore, whoo...**

**Disclaimer: if i owned these characters there would be no reason to be writing this**

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Truth is hidden in the Heart

And is found through Allowing Love to Reveal It

But First You Must Allow Love into Your Heart.

Zuko sat in his study again two months later just after another meeting. It was a military meeting, with the Ambassadors included, on how to hold a strong militia to keep order without suggesting "100 Years War No. 2." He wasn't sure, though, how much longer he would be able to stay in _her_ presence before he exploded, so he left.

When he had first caught sight of her, those months ago—and in truth he was first to see her—he had stopped breathing. If three years ago he had thought she was pretty then today she was a full out goddess. Her hair was long and it wasn't in that braid that made her look too old for her age. Instead she had had it down, flowing around her face, but half up so you could still see her eyes. Her eyes. Like stars on a black night, shining out and lighting the way. And not to mention she had filled out. The once flat-chested, no-need-of-binding girl had now curves to make a circle jealous. Zuko recalled every image making sure they were clearer than day and that his memory would never forget them.

He thought for another second, maybe he had never stopped loving her? He had certainly never stopped thinking about her. When Uncle had asked his suggestions for ambassadors of the new court, his mind had been calling up images of Katara as soon as Iroh had said, "What do you think…"

Was he a lovesick dog?

Most likely.

Did he want to march up to the girl and kiss her as abruptly as he had the first time?

…

That was something he wasn't sure about. Thinking on it now he probably had rushed a little, but he thought, in his defense they had known each other months before hand…

"I'm an idiot," he grumbled to himself.

"Yes, you are."

"Uncle!" Zuko shouted as he head flew up to look at the man leaning against the doorframe.

"What forget about me, Hot Head?" said a voice from the chair in front of his desk.

"Toph? Shouldn't you be off somewhere with the Avatar and Katara?" Zuko muttered, mad that he hadn't noticed their arrival sooner.

"Hmm, nah. They'll be fine, Twinkle Toes and Sugar Queen have been off that road for a longtime," answered Toph.

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked, confused.

"He did kissed her once, but they don't like each like that anymore."

"But…" Zuko whispered looking down at the papers he was supposed to be going through.

"You thought you were her first kiss?" Uncle Iroh inquired of his nephew.

"Sorry, but Twinkle Toes beat you to the punch there," Toph smirked, "just before the Siege on the Palace on the Day of Black Sun. Gotta hand it to the boy, he is a _good_ kisser, being so inexperienced and all. It makes me wonder how you're the one to get her."

"What are you talking about?"

"Course you've had practice with that one Mai girl, and I'm sure you must have had some fancy while in Ba Sing Se," Toph pondered to herself, ignoring Zuko. "Still that's not the real point here. Even after Aang told her about those girls she's not jealous, just in love..."

"What nonsense are you muttering?!" Zuko shouted feeling out of the loop in his own study.

"You might have been waiting three years, Hot Head," Toph began, resting her unmoving gaze on Zuko, "but she's been waiting a lot longer."

Zuko just stared at her, unsure of what to make of such information.

"What Miss Toph means, Zuko," Uncle said, interrupting to explain things better, "is that Lady Katara has made a fancy of you even before you first kissed her."

"Yeah, what he said," Toph muttered, upset that Zuko could understand his Uncle better than the exact same thing she had just said. "Look Fire Breeches, I've talked with her and though you might think no, she _can_ hold a grudge. If she wants to, she could still hate you more than moon-less nights all because you threatened her Gran-Gran back so long ago; yeah—she told me about that.

"But do you know what, she doesn't," Toph continued. "She doesn't regret offering to heal your scar or asking you to join the team.

"And she doesn't regret kissing you back."

Zuko was silent. This little 5'3" tall girl was telling him—Lord of the Fire Nation, the most powerful nation in the world—the things he didn't know. And he wasn't upset, he was grateful.

"You're an idiot, Lord Zuko."

"What?" Zuko asked, but his Uncle stared back blankly.

"You are an idiot. Think, Zuko, you love this girl more then anything, yet you're letting her slip through your fingers."

"She's not going to wait forever, Flame Out," Toph added.

Zuko looked at his friend and family. He couldn't believe he had to have them tell him, that he couldn't figure it out himself. But there was one thing he was going to say first.

"I love her, I love Katara."

"Finally!" yelled Toph, throwing her arms in the air. "But you're telling the wrong people, Fire Breeches."

"I have to find her then," Zuko said standing up and moving towards the door that his Uncle still stood in. "But, wait, I don't know where…" He paused and looked at his blind friend.

Toph felt his head turn before he said anything. "Your favorite spot—alone."

"Thank you Toph, Uncle," Zuko said, bowing to both of them in turn as manners suggested.

"I'd say good luck," Toph joked before smirking, "but you won't need it."

Zuko left rushing out before anything else could be said, but just catching his uncle's gleeful cry as he told Toph, "Yeah! Now I shall finally get grandbabies!"

---------------------

Katara sat on a rock next to the Turtle-Duck Pond, tearing up a roll she had taken from the kitchens and throwing it to the awaiting ducklings. Silently she slipped a piece into her mouth.

"I saw that," a voice suddenly whispered in her ear.

Katara gasped and jumped as she turned to see Zuko, a blank expression on his face but an uncovered smile in his eyes.

"You stink at lying," she mumbled, turning to look back at the turtle-ducks.

"What are taking about?" smirked Zuko as he sat down on the rock next to her. "I saw you stuff the roll in your mouth."

"It was not the whole roll," Katara complained, "and you know what I mean. You didn't come here to charge me of stealing rolls for ducks."

"No I didn't," Zuko agreed, taking one of the rolls from her skirt to tear up.

For a time they sat like that, tears up rolls and feeding it to the ducks. Neither of them knew what to say, having yet to approach each other aside from Peace meetings. Finally Katara spoke only to be stopped by Zuko.

"Zuko, I…"

"Katara, I love you," he said placing a gentle finger to her soft lips. He smiled and explained, "I'm tied of everyone else beating me to the punch."

"Huh?"

"Toph told me how Aang kissed you long before I did," Zuko said dropping his gaze.

"There was nothing in it."

"You're lying."

Katara sighed, drawing away from his hand. "Perhaps I am, but in my defense I'm a girl, such emotions are precious to me."

"So when I kissed you that same day…?"

"For some reason, it was different then," Katara smiled.

"How so?" Zuko asked thinking it was another lie.

"I had always been told you were the enemy," Katara started. "But when I kissed you, I immediately knew that was a lie. Men are enemies to each other, and hate is there tool.

"When I kissed you, the tool was dropped and I saw that we weren't so different."

Zuko watched her with half-lidded eyes, surprised that she could say such a wise thing at such a young age. "Are we still so different?" he questioned to her.

Katara felt a jolt go through her. His words were so cold and sad. She looked at him and felt her heart weep. Without a second thought, she bent herself towards him, and placed her lips to his. The kiss was swift but meaningful, and as she drew back Zuko didn't say anything. Quickly he sat up and grabbed her, wrapping her in his arms and placing his head on her shoulder.

"Katara…stay with me?" he whispered.

Slowly Katara registered the words as her arms snaked around him too.

"Zuko, I love you."

The End.


End file.
